Rat-on-a-stick, also referred to as rat kebab, is a dish or snack consisting of a roasted rat served on a stick or

skewer A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...

. The dish is consumed in Thailand and Vietnam. Prior to roasting, the rat is typically skinned and washed, after which it is gutted to remove its internal organs and then roasted.

By country

Rat meat Rat meat is the meat of various species of rat: medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. It is a food that, while taboo in some cultures, is a dietary staple in others. Taboos include fears of disease or religious prohibition, but in many places, the ...

is considered by some people in South Vietnam, east and northeast India and Thailand to be a

delicacy A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...

, and in recent times, its popularity has increased in both countries. It is also served as a

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...

in these countries. Rat kebab became so popular it also started to appear in a number of elegant restaurants. Rat kebab is also a dish in some

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

recipes.

Source of rats

According to a BBC report, the rats are wild, and caught by professionals using traps.

In popular culture

Rat-on-a-stick has been consumed by contestants on the U.S. reality television show '' Survivor''. On 14 March 2019, Vietnamese rat meat has been featured on National Geographic.

Notes

References

External links

Street Eats, Cambodia: Mangosteen or Rat on a Stick?
Thefriendlygiraffe.com Mice and rats in popular culture Meat dishes {{Food-stub